Councillor expresses concern over unregistered defibrillator

Cllr Michael Bennett-Sylvester first raised his concerns about the heart-starting medical equipment at Staple Green Neighbourhood Centre in Thrybergh after an incident in December 2021 when a resident rang 999 for a relative, believed to be having a heart attack, and was advised to access a nearby defibrillator.  

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester said complications had arisen, adding: “Knowing there was one at the Staple Green Centre, the resident’s son ran there but was unable to access the cabinet due to it not being registered.

“Fortunately, it wasn’t required and, after a short hospital stay, the resident made a full recovery.”

RMBC told the councillor an officer had logged the issue in January 2022, noting the life-saving kit had been donated by local councillors in 2018 and registered with the West Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

According to housing officers, a resident on the estate was believed to be the defibrillator “guardian”, taking responsibility for weekly checks and ensuring the equipment was “ready for action”.

In July 2021, defibrillator guardians were advised by the ambulance service that a new management body was being introduced nationally, The Circuit, and they would need to re-register.

“It is likely this did not happen,” according to the council officer, who added: “Facilities management have now taken responsibility for defibrillators on council premises and are carrying out weekly inspections/checks.

“In this (Staple Green) case, we are now in the process of getting this defib registered correctly so this situation does not happen again.”

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester said a council report to a meeting in December revealed that the medical device, along with two others in his ward — Leverton Way in Dalton and Highgreave Place in East Herringthorpe — was still showing as “TBC” for both registration and a guardian.

All 12 of the defibrillator locations for which RMBC is directly responsible for monitoring were registered and had a nominated guardian named in the report, with the remaining ten listed as “TBC” for both registration and a guardian.

The council is not responsible for all the borough’s defibrillators, but the report found its asset management service was “not always aware of” the selected guardian when the kit had been provided by a charitable organisation, a parish council, or community groups.

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester has now written to the council’s head of asset management asking to be kept “directly informed” of when Staple Green and other defibrillators in his ward are registered.

The councillor added in his letter: “If a named local guardian is needed please let me know if I can help as I’ve good links with all sets of centre users and would be happy to accompany any officer to meetings at the centres to discuss what is needed from a resident’s guardian.”

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester  expressed his “particular concern” about the Staple Green kit to the Advertiser, saying he had previously been “reassured it would be registered”.

A spokesperson for Rotherham Council said they had assumed responsibility and guardianship for defibrillators on council buildings, which were checked weekly.